Mount Clemens coffeehouse percolates new location

Macomb Daily staff photo by Ray J. Skowronek
Che Cosa Cafe owner John Forlini talks with longtime customers Cindy Kehrig and Angela Kehrig as he prepares to close on Monday. The cafe will move down the block to Pine Street while the Box Theater next month will move into the space now occupied by the coffeehouse.

After a successful 15-year run, the Che Cosa Cafe coffeehouse in downtown Mount Clemens closed its doors Monday as part of a transformation of the area around Macomb Place and Pine Street.

Owner John Forlini plans to open the new Box Theater, an independent acting company he founded, in what is now the coffeehouse, after operating for several years on N. Walnut.

The coffeehouse — which will receive a new name when it opens next month — will be placed in the former Max & Ollie’s vintage resale shop, which moved over to Macomb Place next to Bath City Bistro this past summer.

The move will allow theatergoers to enjoy a snack, dessert or coffee before and during performances without having to leave the building, Forlini said.

Advertisement

“We’re hoping to become a genuine nighttime destination spot,” he said on Monday while closing up the facility.

“We’ll have both the coffee shop and the theater under one roof, which will save us money first and foremost, and it will give that corner of downtown some new life because it’s been dead for quite some time. We’re hoping it all goes together.”

Che Cosa opened back in 1997 offering coffees and biscotti, along with a first-rate selection of soups, salads and sandwiches. It provided Mount Clemens with an informal ambience with couches, magazine-laden tables, and a variety of local artwork on the wall Over the years, Forlini fattened up the menu with Alinosi ice cream, panini sandwiches and more.

Che Cosa outlasted other coffeehouses in the Clem including Costa Rica Cafe and Conga.

Forlini, a 1989 graduate of De LaS alle High School who has a background in marketing, said he’s proud of his track record in the city. This has been a year of change for him as he and his wife, Deanna, recently welcomed a baby girl into the world.

“Fifteen years is a long time and we’ve had some great times here,” he said. “We’ve had people who have met here and gone on to get married and invited us to their wedding. It’s been kind of neat.”

Michelle Weiss, retail coordinator for the Mount Clemens Downtown Development Authority, said Forlini’s theater and coffeehouse have helped put Mount Clemens on the map.

“I firmly believe his next move will be beneficial,” she said. “It makes senses to put the two businesses under one roof because people going to the theater will love to be able to have a sandwich or some coffee before a show. We’re very excited to see how it turns out.”

Forlini said the menu for the new coffeehouse will be “100 percent healthy” with several vegetarian selections along with slow-roasted roast beef, turkey and pork loin dishes.

He plans a soft opening for the coffeehouse, which is expected to reopen in early November. The new Box Theater will present “The Marvelous Wonderettes” on Nov. 17.